England will host Croatia at Wembley Stadium in London on Thursday, November 12, in UEFA Nations League Group A3, with kickoff at 19:45 GMT and a quarterfinal place within reach for the home side. Al Jazeera Sport will begin build-up at 16:45 GMT ahead of live text commentary. Captain Harry Kane is expected to be the central figure before the match, presenting his newly won Ballon d’Or trophy to home supporters and making a record 126th appearance for England.
Key Takeaways: England have nine points from four games — three wins and one loss — and sit second behind Spain on 12; a draw against Croatia would be enough to reach the quarterfinals. Kane, 33, will surpass Peter Shilton’s 1990 record for men’s caps and already stands as England’s record scorer with 91 goals. Croatia, beaten 7-0 by England last month and then 2-1 by Spain, are third and need a strong finish to preserve their Nations League A status.
The fixture carries both sporting and symbolic weight for England. Kane, who joined Bayern Munich after leaving Tottenham Hotspur, has described the cap record as one of the biggest milestones of his career and a testament to consistency at the highest level. England coach Thomas Tuchel called Kane the “perfect captain and a leader by example,” described his playing style as unique and said the striker is becoming smarter with age. Tuchel also insisted he has no intention of leaving the England job before Euro 2028, regardless of any offers from major clubs, framing the current campaign as part of a longer project.
Croatia’s manager Slaven Bilic has stressed the importance of finishing third, saying it matters for maintaining the team’s top-tier status. England’s squad selection has drawn attention over the exclusion of midfielder Cole Palmer, but the more compelling storyline is Jobe Bellingham’s first senior call-up and the prospect of him playing alongside older brother Jude. Jobe impressed at Borussia Dortmund and captains England’s under-21 side; if he features against Croatia, the Bellinghams will become the 22nd set of brothers to play for England and the first since Gary and Phil Neville in 2007. Jobe called it an emotional milestone for the family, while Jude has said it would be a career highlight. Peter Shilton is expected to be in attendance.
England ran riot in Rijeka last month, beating Croatia 7-0 with braces from Kane and Bukayo Saka and further goals from Jude Bellingham, Anthony Gordon and Morgan Rogers. Tuchel said the performance was “the highest level from everyone and from first to last minute,” but he has warned his side not to chase the same scoreline; the priority is to win and build momentum before Sunday’s trip to Madrid to face world champions Spain. Croatia, meanwhile, will host Czechia, who have won only once and can no longer reach the quarterfinals.
Source: www.aljazeera.com